Hour by Hour
by KDMOSP
Summary: Sequel to "Thirst" A missing agent, a deadly disease, and a limited amount of time for the team to bring her back alive.
1. Chapter 1

**Sequel to "Thirst" A missing agent, a deadly disease, and a limited amount of time for the team to bring her back alive.**

**A/N: This is the sequel to my last story, "Thirst." You should be fine if you haven't read that one- although the medical terminology might be confusing. I am going to go ahead and say this right now, I am not going to make this easy on JJ, it will be violent, but I will not go into deep details.**

**-For the sake of this story, JJ lives in an apartment :) There is no Will and no Henry.**

Samantha Dillon whistled as she walked through the doors of her apartment complex and towards the familiar elevator. It had been a decent day at school, but a fantastic one at her gymnastics practice. The level nine gymnast had finally nailed the bar routine she had been perfecting for what seemed like months. Beeville, or the "Fighting Bees," didn't have a snowballs chance in hell of beating "The Flyers" of Lindy High tomorrow.

Samantha was the captain of the team, and she held the title in great esteem- tomorrow she would help her team defend their title of state champs!

She just had to get passed the nerves that were starting to eat at her. The pressure and the stress were something she was use to, she had been competing since she was six years old. She thrived on it, lived for the adrenaline, and as her coach told her, it was what made her a fantastic athlete. Yet, the night before the competition, she would always become so nervous, enough that her stomach hurt.

She had to talk to someone. It couldn't be her teammates, they trusted her too much, it couldn't be her coach; she didn't want to freak him out. But she had someone, and as Samantha tapped her foot impatiently waiting for the elevator to reach the fifth, excited to talk to her mentor, she couldn't help but hope the woman was home.

Jennifer Jareau was away from her apartment, a lot! And at first Samantha had teased her that she had been spending the night out with her boyfriend, JJ had just smiled and laughed. It was just a few weeks later, when a then ten year old Samantha had seen JJ coming up the stairs with a bruise over her eye and a gun on her hip that Samantha began to think that JJ might be getting hurt.

In tears, she had run into her apartment, into her mother's arms and cried and cried; worried that her JJ was getting beat up. Her mother had smiled and stroked her red hair. "Sam, Ms. JJ isn't getting beat up. She works a dangerous job and she keeps us all safe. She puts the bad guys away. Sam, reached up and quickly wiped the tears from cheek, listening to her mom continue to tell her how JJ worked for the FBI, and how she had to travel a lot.

It was a three days later that Same accidentally ran across the hall and knocked on JJ's door- she wanted to invite JJ to come to her first state competition. And to Sam's surprise and elation, JJ said yes. And since that day, her neighbor had come to every gymnastics competition that she could make.

Sam considered JJ her good luck charm, and so with that thought in mind she raced down the hall ready to demand JJ attend the meet tomorrow. Sam just hoped she was home.

JJ knew the pressures of competition, understand how frustrating it could be, JJ understood Sam. And understood how important that scholarship was for her.

The redhead composed herself and stood in front of JJ's door, ready to knock when she noticed something. JJ's door was cracked open. That was not like her, definitely not JJ. Sam knocked and called out for her friend, listening carefully for any sounds, when she heard nothing, Sam ventured in.

Sam knew JJ had Type 1 diabetes, and was worried that something may have happened, that maybe her blood sugar had dropped too low and that she needed help. Sam had witnessed a low blood sugar event before and it scared her; her mother had come over and helped JJ by sitting with her and watching her drink orange juice.

"Ms. JJ?" Sam called, looking around the apartment. While it wasn't usually clean, it wasn't dirty either, but today it was different. The lights were all off except the one in the kitchen and the one coming from the bedroom. "JJ!" Sam called again, taking in the scene in front of her. In the kitchen, she saw the refrigerator door was wide open, on the counter was JJ's insulin pump but it was what she saw on the blood that sent her screaming for her mother.

"MOM!" She ran out the door, shouting for her mother. "Mom!" She called again, her mother meeting her in the hallway, terrified that something had happened to her daughter.

"Sam, what's wrong?" The older woman questioned, looking over her daughter for any injures. "What is it honey?"

"JJ! She's gone! There's blood and.." She couldn't even get the words out of her mouth, as her mother ushered the both of them back into the safety of their own apartment.

Sam watched as her mother pulled out her cell phone and with shaking hands called someone Sam could only presume was 911 and explained the nature of the emergency. She listened as her mother's voice cracked when she hung up, then dialed yet another number

"Agent Hotchner? This is Vicki Dillion, I am JJ's neighbor. Something has happened."

Aaron Hotchner didn't waste a minute in getting to JJ's apartment after Vicki had called him, frantic. He didn't know what she meant by something had happened, but instead instructed her to call 911 and that he would be there as soon as possible.

A million thoughts raced through his mind as she drove to JJ's. Had her blood sugar dropped too low, had she had a seizure? Had she fallen? He didn't know and Vicki had just said that he needed to get there immediately. He had met the nurse a year ago at a coffee shop and by pure coincidence he had found out she was JJ's neighbor. He had accidentally dropped his badge and she had picked it up handing it to him commenting on her neighbor was also an FBI agent.

It was toward the end of their conversation, that Hotch had given Vicki his business card, asking her to call him if she ever needed anything, or if anything ever happened to JJ. He had not seen Vicki since and honestly, didn't think she had kept his card- apparently he was wrong.

When he turned the corner to JJ's street, his heart dropped. He didn't see any ambulances or firetrucks, all he saw were multiple police cars, and crime scene tape being put up. Grabbing his ID, he rushed out of the car and flashed his badge multiple times before he arrived at JOE's apartment.

Outside her door stood a uniformed officer who stepped in front of Hotch to prevent him from entering.

"What happened?" Hotch growled, showing him his badge.

The cop stepped aside and then looked up at Hotch. "It looks like a violent kidnapping, sir. Forced entry." He pointed to the door, "blood on the kitchen floor." He rattled and allowed Hotch entry.

Hotch walked inside and went directly to the kitchen. The blood was apparent on the floor, CSI taking their evidence. It was what he saw on the counter that scared Hotch more than the blood. JJ's insulin pump, her life support was there; JJ was not. JJ had no insulin, and without insulin JJ didn't have long to live.

**They had to find her.  
**


	2. Trunk

**A/N: I am not sure I am happy with this chapter, but wanted to get it posted. Thank you all so much for your favorites, followers, and reviews. I really do read them and pay attention to what yall have to say! Keep them coming!**

Penelope Garcia smiled as she dressed in her new pink and purple fluffy pajamas. It was the perfect way to end her day, the only thing that would make it better was her bed- and by God she was on her way there! The large double king sized bed seemed to be singing to her and as she neared it she found herself talking to her bed.

"Hello gorgeous," She nearly squealed, as she dove under her covers. It was a brand new bed set, complete with an array of bright colors, and glitter and ruffles. It was perfect. She had just gotten comfortable when she heard her phone ring. It wasn't the ring tone she had set for when JJ called to summon her to the BAU. No, this one belonged to Hotch.

In a second, Garcia shot back out of bed and grabbed the cell. "Boss man?" She asked, curious as to why Hotch was calling her.

"Garcia. I need you at JJ's now." His voice was different, and she could have sworn she had heard a hint of fear.

"Sir?" She was already up and throwing on her jacket.

"Garcia. I am not going to discuss this over the phone, call the others and get them here."

"Alright, sir." She did exactly as he asked, and within five minutes, the entire team knew to get to JJ's. What they didn't know was why.

Garcia was the last to arrive at the apartment complex and as she pushed her way through the onlookers and reporters, she began looking for her team. She spotted them in the lobby.

"Guys?" She asked nervously and she felt the tears build up when they turned around to face her. They all had their professional faces on, but Garcia had worked with them long enough to be able to profile the profiler. They were worried sick. "Where is JJ?" She whispered.

"Baby girl." Morgan stepped forward, his voice different than she had heard in a long time.

"Don't baby girl me, where is my sugar plum?" Her glare settled on Hotch who stood silently, gazing up at something. "Boss man?"

Hotch turned slowly, to look at her. "Garcia, I need the security footage from those security cameras." He pointed up.

"Of course, boss man but.."

Hotch quickly stopped her. "JJ was attacked this evening. We aren't sure when, but she isn't there. All her personal belongings are still in her apartment, including her pump." he paused. "We all know what that means. JJ most likely has no insulin with her. I spoke with her doctor and she stated that JJ only has a few days, maybe two before she slips into a coma." They all looked down, remembering the last time JJ had fallen into a coma. It was the last thing they wanted to happen again. "She doesn't have a much time."

JJ woke up and immediately felt the need to vomit. She tried to turn over, but found herself unable to do so. It was dark, too dark for her to see, but she could feel. She swallowed and tried to take in a few deep breaths, anything to make the nausea go away. She closed her eyes and concentrated on regulating her breathing, and after a few deep breaths she found the nausea had almost dissipated.

Now, she had to figure out what the hell had happened. She became aware that her arms and shoulders hurt, and further inspection lead her to understand why. They were restrained behind her back- with what she wasn't sure. But she was sure she couldn't get out of whatever it was.

Her legs were tied the same way.. and as she became more aware of her situation, JJ realized she was also gagged. Great.

She took in another breath, forcing herself to remember her training from the academy. She had to pay attention to every detail.

She started with what she knew, besides being bound and gagged, she felt the itchy material below her, it was scratching her cheek, and if she moved around much, she always bumped into something- in all directions.

A trunk, she was in a trunk of a car and if she concentrated, she felt the car moving. She had been kidnapped, knocked unconscious and thrown into the trunk of a moving vehicle. And now, all she could do was wait- and plan for her escape.


	3. Barn

**A/N: Let me post a few AN's on this one. PLEASE READ:**

**1) This is where the story starts to get rough, it doesn't need a higher rating yet, but it's getting there. There are some swear words in here.**

**2) When I was 19, I was abducted at gunpoint from my front door- I spent four days in a human trafficking ring. A lot of what I write comes from that experience, however, I will never clarify what happened to me and what is just me writing. You know if I am writing darker, it's coming from somewhere personal.**

**Thank you all for your reviews. Every single one of them means so much to me!**

Steven hummed happily to himself as he steered the old Mercedes down the road he had grown up on. He flashed back to his childhood, how he and his siblings had rode bikes down the gravel road, picked fruit from the trees, and camped outside on the warm summer nights.

His single mother had fought hard to take care of the six kids, she worked two jobs but still struggled to keep the bills paid, and food on the table; one night Steven had come home to find a gun in her hand, and a hole in her head. He had raised himself since then, his older siblings had one by one run off to the streets. He had not seen nor heard from them in twenty years.

The road itself hadn't changed in those years, it was still gravel and the only thing around him was farm land. The farmers came out once in a while to tend to their crops, but in the dead of winter, he didn't have much company to worry about. His property sat on over a hundred acres, with a number of abandoned structures littering the forgotten farmland. One of those structures was his house, a lovely two story wood and brick home that he worked hard on keeping up, it had green shutters that stood out wonderfully against the white washed wood that lined the house. Plants and flowers seemed to welcome any visitor to the home, an American flag was flowing in the breeze right by his front door.

Yes, he was very proud of his house.

What he was more proud of was the barn he had built just to the southeast of his backyard. It was designed so that it was close enough to him to access it in any weather condition, but far enough away that if any cops were able to find it, he would see them and escapee for they had a clue as to where to begin looking for him. It was incredibly stable and secure. Iron doors that had padlocks assured that nobody got in- or out.

He had designed it specifically for this purpose, to make sure nobody got out. And so far, nobody had. On first glance it looked just like a barn, down to the tack room on the inside and the eleven stalls on the inside; it was the twelfth stall that was different.

Like the others, it had a thin layer of shavings on the concrete floor, a water bucket. It changed however at the stall door. This one was a full length door, with full walls, essentially a black box. The only way in and out was that stall door.

He made sure he never got rid of the claw marks on the walls, he wanted her to be sure to see others had been here. A new addition was the metal hooks on the wall, handcuffs already draping from them. He was ready for this one; he knew she would be more prepared than the others.

He had worked and worked on this stall for over eight months, making sure every detail was in order before he grabbed her. It had to be perfect The last detail, was not inside the barn, rather outside. He had had the experience of one of his victims escaping once, and running off, dumb bitch had run straight down the embankment and into the icy water- he let her drown. They had yet to find her. After that, he had added another measure of security, an invisible electric fence.

And as he pulled next to the barn, he grabbed the collar and gun. This one, should she be awake- would not get the chance to even consider running before she met her new hell hole.

JJ tried to calm herself, it was getting harder and harder to breathe, she was sweating and she feared she might be suffocating. She had tried all her might to untie herself, to pull the trunk lever, but the son of a bitch had every escape route effectively blocked. She was stuck. And now she was scared.

She swallowed as she felt the car come to a slow- this was it. She knew nothing of her abductor or what to expect. Her mind briefly raced back through her recent cases, none of which she could think of would have any connection to her current predicament, but she never knew.

JJ closed her eyes, once she heard the door close and prepared herself for whatever was to come.

She nearly jumped when she heard the trunk thrown open and immediately began to cough as she was able to suck in a welcoming breath of fresh air. She couldn't react as she felt herself being lifted from the trunk- her main focus was on regulating her breathing.

"Easy now," She heard a male voice hiss and felt the gag being removed from her mouth. "No, screaming. Alright?" He pressed a sharp knife into her throat for emphasis. JJ could only nod and as the gag was removed, a sense of relief seemed to briefly overwhelm her. It took a few minutes but she was finally able to calm her breathing down and now focus on the situation at hand.

She startled when she felt a hand suddenly run down her cheek. "Just to keep you safe, princess.." the same voice crawled and JJ felt something behind snapped around her neck. Instantly, she fought and struggled to get the cold metal off, having no idea what it was.

"No, no." Her shoulders were forced down. "Don't mess with the collar sweet thing. You don't want it to go off." He warned, then helped her to stand before forcing her to walk.

"I wouldn't try and run at any point if I were you. I have a knife to your back and even if you get away, that collar around your neck will stop you. Got it?" He asked, not waiting for a response. "Step up, baby doll." He commanded, leading her into the barn and down the large aisle.

And as JJ entered the barn, even though she was blindfolded, she knew it was dark. There was no sunlight in whatever she was being forced through. She walked with him, knowing now was not the best time to run, she allowed him to lead her down a path.

"Turn left." He didn't wait for her to turn, he pushed her hard inside and she lost her balance falling to her knees. She didn't have time to recover, the next thing she knew she was being dragged by her shirt backwards. The next thing she knew, she felt a heavy bolt fall against her neck and she knew she had just been chained to something.

"Don't do this.." Somehow, she was able to keep some confidence in her voice as her blindfold was stripped off, followed by the restraints around her wrists.

"No, sweetness." He grabbed her chin and forced her to look at him. "I do what I wish." He reached over and in one quick motion ripped the shirt from her body. He reached into his pocket and pulled out a tiny bottle, a bottle JJ recognized immediately as her insulin. "And I suggest you do what I say if you plan on living more than a few days." He grinned as he forced a knee into JJ's chest. "Welcome to hell."


	4. Sleep

**A/N: Again, thank you for all of your reviews. I wish I could express how much they mean to me (to give you a hint, if I wake up in the middle of the night, I check my email for reviews! They mean THAT much to me!) I am not thrilled with this chapter, but am exhausted and wanted to make sure I updated!**

**Also, this story is violent, I do not want to sugar coat that, at all! I will NOT go into explicit detail about what occurs, but this story does contain aspects of sexual violence, I will do my best to post a trigger warning in every chapter that it occurs. Here is a fair warning the next few chapters will probably have that warning. I am going to try and write it so that if you choose to skip the warned chapter, it will still make sense.**

**If anyone has any other ideas on how to do that, please let me know! Another option is just briefly highlighting aspects of that chapter in the A/N.**

**And finally, does anyone know how to make those video things for fanfic? If you do and are willing to help, can you PM me?**

**Please and thank you and ENJOY:**

Dr. Katie Wilcox looked at the two men sitting in front of her, heartbroken already at what she was going to have to tell them. "Agents," She began, remembering her brief conversation with Agent Hotchner the night before. "You all know JJ needs insulin to live. If she has no insulin, the glucose from the food she eats cannot get into the cells to provide her with energy. Instead, that glucose builds up outside the cells, elevating her blood sugar." She knew they both most likely had heard this before, but she wanted them to know exactly what they were dealing with. "Insulin allows the glucose to get into the cells." She glanced at both of them. "JJ's body doesn't produce any insulin, that is why she relies on the pump. She gets fast acting insulin twenty four hours a day."

"How long can she go without insulin?" Morgan looked up at the young doctor.

"Not long." Katie sighed. "After two days, she will most likely be in DKA- after that.."

"Maximum amount of time we have to work with?" Hotch ventured.

Katie bit her lip. "Five days."

And they were nearing almost twenty four hours- one day. They had to find her. They had no idea who took her.

Spencer Reid stared at JJ's open refrigerator, mentally cataloging everything that was inside. Orange juice, eggs, left over pizza, nothing out of the ordinary. But he wasn't looking for food- he was looking for something else. He bit his lip and began opening drawers- when he reached the butter compartment, he smiled. He pulled out the two small, glass bottles and set them on the counter- and began to think again.

JJ used just about thirty units of insulin a day, so that would give her approximately four days worth of insulin in her pump; if she stayed on the conservative side. So she had roughly eight cartridge fills before a vial was completely empty. She got four vials of insulin a month, and she had just refilled less than a week ago! He had two opened ones, and the one on JJ's counter.

Reid's heart soared. Whoever had taken JJ, had taken a bottle of insulin with them. It meant that whoever had her, they wanted JJ alive.

Garcia sat in her sanctuary, a completely empty box of tissues by her side; she had resorted to using her sleeve to try her tears. Her sugar plum was missing, gone, violently taken from her home- her very home!

Fear quickly turned to rage at the thought of someone hurting JJ, coming into her home and hurting her! How dare they! Did they not know who JJ was? That she was a federal agent, a baby sister to so many?

The rage propelled Garcia back to her machines and with fingers of fire, she continued on her duties.

Forty five minutes later, she found what she was looking for and she ran down the hall, ready to get to meet with her teammates.

Hotch stared in amazement at his team, proud that, despite these circumstances, they continued to work hard and persevere. When Reid brought up that insulin was missing from JJ's fridge, and had possibly been grabbed with her, Hotch felt a bit of relief.

When Garcia added that a pharmacy had just been robbed for the sole purpose of diabetes supplies including insulin, syringes, and testing supplies, Hotch knew they were on to something.

They had to be. They were running out of time. JJ was running out of time.

Steven twirled his keys around his fingers, swinging a backpack back and forth as he thrust open the barn door and strolled towards the stall. Last night had been wonderful- at least for him. He wasn't sure if she felt the same way; but in all honesty he didn't care how she felt. She was there for one purpose, and one purpose only.

"Hey there." He banged on the stall door, sure he had startled the young woman. He swung the door open and strolled in, laughing at the site in front of him. He would normally taunt and tease her about her absolute powerlessness, but he was running behind and had to get to work.

"Get away from me," She hissed, refusing to back away from him as he moved closer.

"Now princess." He pulled out the test kit and insulin. "We had a deal.. you be a good girl, and you get your insulin." He reached over and grabbed a finger, and with practiced ease, poked it and dabbed the blood onto the strip, watching the meter count down. "486." He scolded her before filling a syringe with what JJ recognized as her insulin.

"You are probably feeling like hell right now," He grabbed her arm and stuck the needle in, depressing the plunger before she could react. "This should help." He grabbed another syringe, one that was prefilled.

"No, I don't need anymore.." JJ pulled away, seeing him reach for her arm again.

"It ain't insulin, darling." In one swift motion, he forced her onto her back and jabbed the needle into her thigh, causing JJ to cry out in pain. "It's to make you sleep."


	5. Your Own Best Hero

**A/N: There is no mention of any sexual assault in this chapter, however, Steven is creepy, and very controlling and gets more so towards the end! Love my reviews!**

**THANKS FOR READING!**

JJ huddled in the corner, as far back as she could get. A thunderstorm had awoken her from a sleep she had not put herself to, the bastard had drugged her. The vestiges of the drug were still coursing through her system, and JJ was fighting as much as she could to simply stay awake. All of her energy was focused on staying awake.

The heavy storm was helping with that, the loud booming of the thunder made her jump every time it shook the building she was trapped in, the rain was heavy enough that not only could she hear it, she could smell it. And of course there was the hole in the roof that allowed the rain to slowly drip in, JJ had no doubt the hole was on purpose.

She took in a deep breath, trying to calm herself and think clearly but found even that difficult. Her mind seemed as though it were full of cobwebs and no matter how many times she tried to shake it, they remained. So, she focused on what she could remember, and what she did know. The details were murky at best, and while JJ knew the team was looking for her, she also knew she was her own best hero.

JJ wasn't sure how long she had been locked in the building, there was no light when she was alone. Ever. But when Steven came to visit her, he would often bring a lantern or a flashlight. It was the only light she got. She had no idea if it was day or night, what time it was, how long it had been since that night. And the absolute lack of light was starting to amp her already heightened anxiety.

She knew that wherever she was, it was isolated. She hadn't heard any car horns, or tires screeching, no loud music, no car engines. No, the only thing she had heard besides Steven, was the occasional coyote, and owl. Other then that, the silence was prevalent. And along with the lack of lights- JJ knew exactly what he was doing. By cutting off most sources of external stimuli, he was effectively torturing her. He knew what he was doing and that scared the hell out of her.

And when the door suddenly slammed open, JJ nearly vomited. She was truly terrified of him; he had already proven himself to by a sadistic and horribly violent man. She so desperately wanted to hide her fear, to show that she was not a coward- that she was a trained and highly capable FBI agent. Yet, she was still a human being, and no matter what training she had, what had been taught and told to her, she still feared.

"Hello JJ." She felt her skin crawl at his voice.

"How long have I been here?" She surprised herself at the courage her voice seemed to hold.

"It doesn't matter," He placed the lantern down beside them, so that each could see each other's face.

"It does to me." JJ responded back, determined to show a bit of confidence, even if she wasn't feeling any.

Steven laughed, he knew she had no idea if it was day or night, and she obviously had no idea how long she had been there. "Are you hungry?" He asked, knowing she hadn't eaten since she had been there.

JJ shook her head. "No." In all honesty, she was starving, but already he had a history of drugging her, she wasn't willing to let that happen again.

"JJ, I know you are hungry." His voice suddenly dropped, it went from happy and carefree to almost angry. "And you need to eat, you need your energy." He pushed, pulling something from the bag he carried and placing it on a glass dish in front of her.

All JJ could do was shake her head, sensing the impending danger. She was caught, torn between following her need to eat and risking being drugged again.

Steven looked at her and smiled again, a toothy grin. "You think I dragged it don't you?" He reached over and moved a strand of hair away from her face, laughing when she tried to move away from him.

"It doesn't seem impossible." JJ shot back and with one free hand, she grabbed the glass dish and heaved it against the wall, sending the baby food looking meal splattering against the wall, and the glass shattering. It was a momentary sense of pride, until she felt the whirlwind of energy smash her head against the wall.

"You bitch!" Nathan screamed, he was beyond infuriated. "Fine! If you want to starve then so be it!" He flipped the young agent onto her stomach and grabbed her hands, effectively restraining them behind her back as he handcuffed them together, before forcing her to sit back up.

The world was spinning, everything was moving around, and as JJ felt herself being sat back up, a ringing in her ears began. She saw Steven yelling at her, but couldnt understand what it was. She did understand his motions though, and she struggled as she saw him putting the blindfold back around her eyes and wanted to cry when he placed earmuffs over her ears. She couldn't hear now, she couldn't see now, she couldn't move.

And she was all alone with a quickly devolving psychopath.


	6. Plan

A/N: Someone pointed out that I accidently wrote the name Nathan at the end of the last chapter, there is no Nathan.. I can only blame autocorrect who apparently thought Steven should be Nathan.. I really hope everyone is enjoying this story so far.

Steven grinned as he casually walked through the busy halls, waving to the people carrying on about their own business. He worked hard and was dedicated to his profession, he loved it. It was actually a second career, a much needed change from his first. He had been a paramedic for years it just wore him down. The career he had now was perfect, never any overtime, he could choose his hours, and nobody ever really talked to him. He never really had to work with anyone, and could usually find a small office to curl up in and nap if he wished.

The night shift had it's advantages.

He whistled as he continued on down the hall, but stopped when he noticed something out of the ordinary. A few of the lights were still on and it was almost three in the morning. Deciding he'd better check on it, he tested the doors and was surprised to find it open. As he cautiously ventured in, the wheels in his mind began turning. Oh, this was too perfect, especially if they were there.

"Hello? Security." He called switching on his flashlight, trying not to show his smile. He continued on down the hall, when he glanced into a small office and saw a group of people huddled together, nobody speaking. Instead, they were all pouring over some kind of paper work.

"Are you all okay?" He asked, knocking on the door as he spoke. "I noticed lights were on, and nobody is normally here at this time."

He watched as they all looked up, almost startled. "I'm sorry, didn't mean to interrupt." He turned around, but couldn't help himself. "I'm sorry about your friend, I really hope you find her in time."

He had struck a nerve with them, he could tell. It was the leader...what was his name again? Henry, Harrold? Something like that that spoke. "Thank you."

"Please let me know if you all need anything." He nodded and shut the door behind him. He waited and watched, making sure nobody was following him out the door. When he was satisfied he was in the clear, Steven walked over to a random desk, not caring who it belonged to, and pulled out an envelope from his pocket. With gloved hands, he set it down on the desk so that whoever sat there, was sure it see it.

It was a special gift from him- and JJ and it couldn't be traced back to him. He had made sure of that. He reached back into his pocket and pulled out a lock of blonde hair before taping it to the envelope.

His grin grew larger as he walked away from his gift, from the so called "elite profilers." He was hiding in plain sight from them, and by the time they realized it was him; he'd be long gone. And so would JJ.

He had no plans on coming back to work anymore, he just wanted to get in the one last dare before he simply walked out. And as he did, he saw the light coming back from the room. The agents would find their surprise soon- and he was already gone.

JJ couldn't move, couldn't see, couldn't hear, but she refused to allow herself to be defenseless. Her mind was in constant motion and she had a plan forming. Her hands were tied together, but she could still fidget around a bit, and as her fingers maneuvered over the bedding, they came across exactly what she was searching for.

Now, all she had to do was wait and hope her plan worked.

Steven watched the shed from the security camera he had high up in the barn. He had a link streaming directly to his phone, and as he watched her grab the small bit of glass on the floor he laughed. "Good girl." He said setting down the phone on the desk he was using before kicking his feet up to relax. He yawned and pulled his hat over his head, instantly dozing off, as he sat at his latest victim's desk; having no clue that his phone had fallen behind the desk, the live feed still playing;


	7. Hell or High Water

**AN: I apologize for the delay, I had a hard time writing this chapter. Let me know what you think. And yes, this chapter has a very tiny, HINT at sexual assault.**

Miranda was thankful. So, so thankful! She had finally found a job that would help support her family! It paid a bit more than minimum wage but hopefully she could save up enough money to move her children and herself out of the domestic violence shelter and into an apartment! Oh, what a dream! Her counselor had advised her that it might take some time to save up enough money for the deposit, but Miranda didn't care- she was finally making a life, a great life, for her and her children.

So what if it started with cleaning the floors at the FBI building? She took pride in her job, and worked as hard as she could making sure not a fingerprint was left on any workstation. She took the time to clean her area, and clean it well. She had only been there a few months, but had received many compliments, and each one made her beam with pride! Maybe one day, she could become supervisor, and then she could go back to school!

Miranda walked up to her favorite unit, the BAU and pushed inside, bumping right into the security guard. She instinctively flinched, preparing for the hit that was sure to come.

"Miranda," Steven laughed, "Just an accident." He winked at her and walked off, leaving the housekeeper feeling a bit ashamed.

She shook her head and walked inside, and straight over to the office she always started at. It belonged to one of the nicest women she had ever met, a young woman with blonde hair and an air about her that made Miranda aspire to be just like her. Confident, happy, respected. One day, Miranda would get there.

She took out the cleaning supplies and began to spray the desk when it occurred to her, the desk looked just as clean as it had the day before- obviously the agent had not been there in a few days; nothing unusual, she was often gone days at a time. But regardless, out of town or not, Miranda's job was to keep the office clean! So she began wiping down the desk, getting rid of the fingerprints she had missed from the day before. She watered the wilting plant, and smiled when she saw a few pens on the floor. Crouching down, she reached for them, and that was when she saw it. A cell phone had fallen behind the desk, the poor agent was probably desperate to find it!

Miranda grabbed it, and turned it over, before she let out a deafening scream.

Hotch was livid, the bastard has been right in front of them minutes before. He had taunted them, and the team had been so focused on finding JJ, they missed the obvious- and he had been right in front of them.

Now, they were watching from his cell phone. Watching their agent, their JJ, fight for her life, and at the moment, they were powerless. It was all up to JJ right then, they had to find where the signal was coming from before they could even head in any direction.

In the few minutes they had seen of the feed, they all had picked up a few things. The first and most important, JJ was alive. They could see her move and fidget, they could see her breathing. They could also see the blindfold, the gag and the rope restraining her arms. They also noticed the headphones she had on.

"He's sensory depriving her," Rossi spoke, his eyes fixated on the image. "It's torture.."

Nobody argued, nobody had anything to argue about. It was when they all heard a door slid open moments later, that the true nature of JJ's captivity began to come into focus. While they heard her captor approaching, JJ truly had no idea, and it made their fear for her ten times worse. She couldn't protect herself if she didn't know what was coming.

They all watched in shock as Steven came into focus on the camera, and stared straight at it, throwing his hands in the air. "Come find me," He dared before turning around and ripping something from JJ's hands. "Crafty little bitch, ain't she?" He held up the small glass shard for the team to view. "Too bad I am a few steps ahead of her." Without warning, he turned back towards JJ and shoved the shard into her shoulder blade.

Blake turned away, Morgan threw his coffe cup, Rossi shouted and Reid pushed Garcia out of the room. It was Hotch whose icy glare remained focused on the screeen, taking in every detail. JJ was aware, was concious, and thoug she couldn't scream through the gag, he watched her body physically react. Watched her body lurch in a way that conveyed the pain she was in.

And as Hotch licked his lips, only one thought entered his mind. "This ends. Today." He turned and walked out, grabbing the phone to take with him. He needed time alone, if only for a few moments. He knew, he knew what was going to happen next, and even though he trusted his team, he did not want them to watch. He didn't want them to see, and he knew JJ would never want them to see.

He turned away as the act he knew was about to happen, did occur, he couldn't watch the man violate his agent, all Hotch could think of was finding JJ. And come hell or high water, he would bring her back. Alive.

And with one call, he had all the resources he needed. JJ would be coming home, and Steven Marcus would be leaving in a body bag.


	8. Options

**A/N: Thanks for reading! I was going to end this story soon, but got a awesome idea! Stay with me! Thanks for the reviews!**

Steven steadied himself as he drove the car down the bumpy dirt road, and dabbed his handkerchief to his forehead in an effort to stop the excessive sweating.

He had discovered his cell phone, his link to HR, missing from his pocket just ten minutes after he had gotten on the road home.

He wasn't a dumb man. He did horrible, evil, awful things- and he loved it. But he was far from dumb. But what he had just done, was beyond dumb, it was boneheaded and it was going to cost him big time. He banged his hands on the steering wheel, livid at himself.

When the BAU found that phone, it was all over for him.

But he still had time, they could identify him, they could pull his HER record and look up his address, his past, everything about it. But they didn't know about the barn.

And for one moment, it was his saving grace.

As he drove on, a plan began to formulate in his mind. He had two options as far as he could see; one being to just kill the girl and get it over with; frankly it was the easiest of the two. He could simply get rid of her, then disappear before the BAU even had an inkling about the barn.

Then, there was the second option.

He could find a secondary location, he had one, actually. And as he began to think more and more about it, he really liked that idea! Now, just to get everything set for the arrival of the BAU.

He worked and worked on the area surrounding the barn for a good hour before he was satisfied with his project. Now, to make the BAU see what he was capable of. He grabbed his beloved backpack and whistled, calming himself as he walked into his barn and towards his JJ.

Steven knew, he just knew that the BAU had found that phone and was watching the footage of their agent and he fully intended to give them a show. Starting with making sure he got that weapon out of JJ's hands. He stormed down the hall, making as much noise as possible. he wanted the BAU to hear his presence, he knew JJ couldn't.

He arrived at the stall and stepped right in front of the camera, smiling. "Come find me!" He dared, visualizing the look on their faces. He then turned towards JJ and grabbed her hands, ripping the glass shard from her. He felt the adrenaline racing through his body, oh this was so much better than he had imagined! "Crafty little bitch, isn't she?"

With that, he turned and shoved the shard into her shoulder, laughing as he watched her writhe in pain. He then grabbed her blood sugar meter and taking the blood from her shoulder, tested it.

"You know agents," He showed the reading up towards them. "JJ has been a bad girl." He pulled her insulin out of his pocket and showed them the life sustaining vile. And with a bigger grin, he put it down and under his foot, before stepping on it, and smashing it to pieces. "Oops."

He was on a roll, and intended to keep it going- so he showed them what he was made of. And when he was done, when JJ was so weak she could barely move, he took her blindfold off and pressed her face up at the camera, he wanted the team to see the life leaving her eyes.

"Say goodbye, agent." He whispered in her ear, and then took his gun and slammed it into her temple, before letting her fall to the ground. He walked away, knowing both of them were now out of view of the camera, before he fired a shot.

Now, came the fun part. He picked up the unconscious agent and carried her out of the barn, making sure to watch out for the tripwire he had set just a few hundred feet from the barn. If he had set it right, the BAU would be knocked down, possibly a few broken bones, but he would set the stage for the battle to come.

They would not take his prize back, JJ belonged to him.


	9. Fire

**A/N: Prepare yourselves for the end of this... but stay with me. Thank you all for reading and your reviews. This is my second update for the day, so make sure you read the other chapter so you can understand this one!**

"Sir!" Garcia raced towards the gathered team, her heels clicking as she rounded the corner. "Sir!" She was out of breath by the time Hotch met her. "I found it.. I know where she is." Garcia handed him a piece of paper with one single address listed on it.

"Let's go." Hotch pulled out his phone, he was calling in everyone he could. SWAT, the local PD, all available agents. He glanced at the paper again. JJ was close, he was keeping her within an hour away. "Hold on, JJ. We're coming."

The GPS had estimated their time of arrival at just past six in the morning. At 5:45 a caravan of law enforcement officials pulled up alongside the road. They had one mission in mind, get their sister out. And if somehow Steven ended up beaten to a pulp or dead, so be it.

"Agent Jareau is the hostage." Hotch began briefing the gathered crowd, watching as they strapped on their tactical gear. "We do not know her exact condition, but expect it to be critical. Agent Jareau is a diabetic and to our understanding has not had any insulin, an ambulance is waiting at the top of the hill for her." He paused, not sure how to phrase the next part. He desperately wanted to protect JJ's dignity. "If you see Agent Jareau, if possible, inform one of us before you approach her. She has been through a lot, and the last thing we need right now is further traumatize her." He watched as everyone bowed their heads, reading between the lines and understanding what he had just told them. "Steven is prepared for this, he knows we are coming and I am sure he has taken measures to prevent us from rescuing JJ. Be careful."

He nodded at them, and within seconds, they were on their way to get JJ back. Hotch stayed behind the lead SWAT team, Morgan behind him, Reid and Rossi each on one of his sides, Blake behind them. They seemed to crawl through the brush, making sure they were not heard. A team acting as an individual to bring back their own.

It was Reid who noticed it first, always the observer. He had known this was too easy from the get go, that Steven planned to hold on to JJ as long as he could. That the slip up with the phone was not something he had planned, he would want revenge and he wouldn't take it out on JJ.

"Get down!" Reid shouted, startling the line, as they did what he said. They all hit the ground just as the barn in front of them sent wood, nails, and bricks flying in their direction.

A tripwire, the bastard had set a tripwire. The barn was now engulfed in flames, fire spewing from every inch of the once wood structure. And Morgan felt his head explode with fury.

"JJ!" He took off running, ignoring the voice telling him to stop. He knew there was a good possibility of more traps, but the very thought of JJ burning in that building was enough to will him forward. He was almost there when he heard footsteps behind him. They were all there, all following, all risking their own lives to save JJ.

"JJ!" Reid called, ducking the fire that surround him. He searched the stalls, coughing as he did, it was getting harder and harder to breathe. "JJ!" He screamed, echoing the others.

"Over here!" Reid turned the sound of a SWAT officer who had grabbed something and had lifted it over his shoulder. "Get out, I've got her, get out!" He screamed rushing towards the door. The sound of the wood cracking alerted them that they had little time left.

The last of the team ducked out as a beam collapsed around the stall they had found her in and seconds later, the entire barn collapsed in a massive fire.

Blake took a deep breath, feeling the smoke invade her lungs. She looked up to see the SWAT officer kneeling over whatever he had brought out. He had said he had her, so Blake could on presume it was JJ. But as she got closer, a knot in her stomach grew. The figure on the ground was not moving, the SWAT officer was not even attempting CPR.

Blake looked to her team who all began approaching quickly, it was Reid who turned away first and right then and there, Blake knew they were too late. On the ground was a body, a few strands of blonde hair hung from the burned face. Other than the blonde hair, there was no way to identify this person on the spot

"Is this your agent?" The officer spoke looking to Hotch.

Hotch swallowed, and closed his eyes. "I don't want to give a positive ID right now, wait for the ME." And he turned and walked away, throwing up into the bushes. He had been too late.

Steven laughed as he watched the scene unfold in front of him, well, above him. From his bomb shelter dug deep into the ground, he had been able to watch everything. And now he knew, he was back in control.


	10. Rozie

**A/N: Sad chapter here, but I am not sure I am happy with it! Let me know what you think! And I am sure you all guessed it, no, the body from the barn is not JJ! The team doesn't know it yet :) And I am trying to be a cornball here, but I am trying to break my record of most reviews. The last one I had was 82 reviews for 11 chapters, PLEASE, PLEASE review.. I really want to see if I can do this, it'll totally make my day if I get more then 82 by chapter 11! THANKS!**

"JJ?" A strange voice called her name, softly. "JJ, open your eyes, you are safe." She recognized the voice, a voice she had longed to hear for so long now. "JJ." She felt a soft touch stroking her cheek, a gentle touch that had not one ounce of evil in it.

Her sister.

"JJ bean," Rosalin began, watching her baby sister open her eyes.

"Rozie?" JJ whispered, her throat sore and aching; her head pounding, her body throbbing. Everything hurt and she just wanted to cry into her sister's arms.

"Come here, JJ." Rozie sat down next to her sister and began stroking the blood stained blonde hair. "You haven't changed much, Bean." Rozie's affectionate voice immediately had a calming affect on the injured blonde, her sister was literally able to see the blonde relax, the pain seemed to have dissipate with Rozie's presence.

"I'm here, JJ." Rozie promised, holding her sister in her arms. She hated this, hated watching her suffer so much. "JJ, I want you to listen and listen good." Rozie fingered the necklace she saw her baby sister wearing. JJ was listening, she could tell that, she knew her sister like the back of her hand. "This isn't over yet, and you still have a hell of a fight ahead of you. The hardest is yet to come, but you are proving him wrong every step of the way. You aren't broken, Bean, you never will be. You aren't damaged, you aren't beat, and you sure as shoot aren't dead. What you are is a fighter, an extremely intelligent young woman with an entire life ahead of you, a wonderful friend, a talented FBI agent and a hero to so many. My sister, my Bean, is an FBI agent!" Rozie beamed with pride and what her sister had accomplished.

"Rozie, I am tired." JJ whispered, curling into a fetal position, her eyes still squeezed shut.

"I know, Bean, I know." Rozie reached down to hug her. "But you are doing so well. And I want you to keep fighting. Your team is looking, they are doing everything they can. Agent Hotchner is driving himself bonkers trying to find you. Agent Morgan.."

"Morgan is mad.." JJ whispered and Rozie laughed. JJ was weak, but she was able to talk a bit, not much, but enough. Rozie had to give her something to keep fighting for, she knew the desperation JJ felt right then. And just the promise of life might not be enough to cut it.

"Yes, Bean, Agent Morgan is mad. Agent Reid is…"

"Spense." Rozie's pride grew, hearing her sister talk about her team as her own family "Spense is scared.."

"Agent Rossi.."

JJ coughed. "Determined." Even the little bit of energy she was exerting to talk was completely exhausting her.

"Agent Blake?" Rozie asked, knowing her time with her sister was coming to an end. She had less than a minute to speak with JJ and get her message across.

"Caring. And Garcia.. my best friend." JJ sighed, feeling as though peace as washing over her.

"That's right, Bean." Rozie whispered, kissing her sister on the head. "Bean, I have to go now, but you need to stay here. You need to stay here and show this son of a bitch what you are made of! I am going to be here with you.. I am here with you always." Rozie stood up. "JJ, look at me." Rozie commanded. "You are my hero, you have always been and you will always be. We will see each other again, but not for a long, long time. You will be old and grey, and happy. You are not meant to die here, JJ. Not in a bomb shelter at the hands of psycho. It's coming to an end, Bean. I promise. I love you, JJ. More then you know." JJ watched as her sister's image started to fizzle in front of her.

"Rozie?" She tried to sit up, but failed miserably and fell back to the ground. "Rozie.."

"I'm always right here, Bean. Always." Rozie blew one more kiss at her sister, before fading away, leaving her sister back in her hell hole.

"Rozie.." JJ cried, desperately wanting her sister to come back, to stay with her, and keep her warm. "Rozie.." She fell back to the ground, tears stinging her eyes as she frantically searched for her sister.

Steven laughed at the scene before him. It had been great seeing an entire team of FBI agents almost lose it at the barn; but this, this was classic. He was literally watching one of the famed agents lose her mind. And he had every intention of letting it happen.

He crawled over to JJ, and placed his hand over her head, grinning at the warmth of her skin. "Rozie ain't here baby doll, it's just you and me." He paused again before delivering what he considered his death blow. "And you are never going home."


	11. Bruce

**A/N: Thanks for all the reviews, I had to really work on this one! It's a filler chapter, but helps me set up for later! Please review, it helps get me thru work! Seriously, it does…**

Aaron Hotchner stood outside the burned barn, deep in thought. Hours ago, he had watched the medical examiner take the body of what was believed to be the missing FBI agent. He had sent the rest of the team back to the hotel, ordering them to get some rest. They were no good to JJ if they couldn't function. If the body was JJ, an exhausted team would make mistakes finding her killer, mistakes that could let him go free-once they caught the bastard.

If the body was not JJ, an exhausted team could cost her her life. And like hell he was going to let that happen.

So, with an expected argument, he stood one step ahead of them and compromised. They had to go back to the hotel for a minimum of four hours, what they did that time, was up to them. He had originally said six, but agreed down to four. In all honesty, he just needed to be by himself, to worry about JJ.

JJ.. God, what if it was her? They had been so close, they were there, had gotten to her. Just not in time. Deep down he knew it was her, he knew the body they had found was that of his agent. There had been no reports of any missing people made that matched the limited description of the body they found. Only JJ matched it. It was the barn they had seen in the video, it was the stall they had seen JJ chained to, everything matched. So now, he had to wait for the results from the medical examiner and hope that it was not JJ.

Then again, was that selfish of him to think, to hope? If it was not JJ, where was she? Undoubtedly suffering, sick, hurt, at the hands of a psychopath and more than likely- terrified. FBI agent or not, she was still a human being and still feeling emotion. What went through her mind, Hotch didn't want to think about.

He took a deep breath and forced himself to focus on two people: JJ and Steven. He had to find them both, and he wouldn't rest until he did.

"Agent Hotchner?" He looked up to see an officer approaching him.

"Yes?"

"We've got something." The officer smiled. "Dog found it."

Hotch's heart rate picked up, they had been using the dogs to locate JJ, in and around the barn. One cadaver dog inside the barn and a small perimeter around it that would slowly begin working out. And another dog, a search and rescue dog named Bruce who had the sole job of searching for JJ. Not her body, but a living person.

"Which dog?" Hotch asked daring to hope.

"Bruce."


	12. Tease

**A/N: Hope you are still enjoying it! Please review! Thanks! I haven't been able to decide between two plots, so I will let you choose, kind of! You get a semi hint, just tell me which word.. along with your review!**

**Let me know: **

**Weather **

**or **

**Friend... **

"Where is she?" Hotch growled, not releasing his gun as he pointed it directly at Steven. The son of a bitch had been hiding in an underground bunker, watching as his bomb exploded, completely decimating the barn. He had been found exactly where Bruce had lead them too. The pooch had practically dragged the officers to a small, secluded spot just a few yards away from where they stood, before he began digging and barking.

Moments later, the teams entered the bunker, hoping that Bruce had been correct and that their friend was inside. They couldn't have been more wrong. The only thing they found was an ecstatic man, a man happy to brag about his crime, happy to let them know that he was charge; that he had them at their knees.

"Where is who, Agent Hotchner?" Steven grinned as Morgan slapped his hands in the cuffs, not caring if they were a bit too tight. "Do you see anyone else here?"

Morgan shook his hard, "What did you do with her?" He shook him again for emphasis. He needed to get to JJ, they needed to get to JJ. Until the ME told them otherwise, that body in the barn was not JJ.

"Did you not see the barn, Agent Morgan?" He laughed, enjoying the game he was playing.

Hotch glared at Steven as he holstered his gun, trying to figure out what this man was playing at. There was the possibility that the body found was that of their missing agent, they just didn't have confirmation either way yet. And until they did, they would keep operating under the premise that JJ was alive.

"You are under arrest." Morgan began, careful not to miss this step, the last thing he wanted was this bastard to walk free and get off on a technicality.

"I know.. for the murder of a federal agent." His laughter reverberated throughout the entire bunker, not one more word was spoken as he was lead out and into a waiting squad car.

Morgan stayed with Hotch, waiting for the bunker to empty. "Do you believe him?" Morgan asked, almost fearing the answer.

Hotch remained silent for a moment, trying to phrase it the best way he could. He wanted to keep the FBI professionalism, at the same time, Morgan was his teammate, his friend. He cared about JJ just as much as Hotch did. Morgan was looking to Hotch as his leader, and he expected the truth, regardless what it was. With a blink of his eyes, Hotch turned back to Morgan.

"No, now we need to figure out where she is."


	13. Brother

**A/N: I am so so sick right now and I have a broken foot- so this chapter might not be my best! Forgive me!**

Reginald Miller counted the cash in his hands; yep, what he had done was well worth the $500.00 his friend had paid him. The job hadn't really been all that hard, just a quick grab and dump.

The girl was already drugged out of her mind and couldn't put up a fight if she tried. Reginald had laughed when he first laid eyes on her- she was completely and utterly helpless, unable to even hold her head up as he lifted her into his arms.

"You'll need to put her in your trunk." His friend had directed.

"Man, you serious?" Reginald howled and lightly bounced the semi conscious woman in his arms. "She ain't goin' nowhere!"

"Just make sure of it." His friend had ordered, tucking the syringe he had just used on the girl into his pants pocket. "I don't need her dying too fast on me." He smiled. "Hold her still, I need her shirt." He asked, taking the little remaining fabric from the woman and tossing it on the floor.

"No way man, I ain't takin a naked woman.." Reginald would do a lot, hell, he was about to do a lot; but handling a naked woman was the line he wouldn't cross. He wouldn't touch a naked woman that wasn't his own wife.

"Fine!" His friend shouted, growing more and more impatient. "What do you want me to do?"

"She needs her clothes man, she's shivering!"

"No, I need her clothes.." He paused then stripped off his black hoodie. "Here." He threw it at Reginald. "Now, get out of here."

Reginald walked to his car, swearing to himself as he carried the blonde in his hands. She was in bad shape, her body was covered with cuts and bruises, blood dripped and oozed from multiple injuries, he was certain she had at least a few broken bones. And for a brief moment, he hesitated, wondering if his assignment was worth the money.

But then he thought about what that money could buy, he could pay his rent for a month and give his kids another month in a home. And so, without any more thought to the matter; he put the woman in the front seat of the car and drove off; passing the approaching line of police vehicles making their own way down the street.

He drove for an hour, following the directions his friend had given him. Reginald was surprised to find the area was a national park; a massive national park. His friend had given him directions on a back road- somewhere where there was little to no traffic. Once he parked- there were more directions to follow.

"Damn." Reginald sighed, seeing the weather began to turn for the worse; the forecasters were saying that heavy storms were to move into the area that evening. Heavy rain, hail, tornadoes, this storm system had it all.

"Alright, c'mon kiddo." He parked the car and got out, walking over to the passenger side. He had made sure the car was hidden well enough in the foliage before he got out. "It's alright." He reached inside and grabbed the woman, hoping she would fight him- would do something. She didn't move. "I'm sorry." He whispered, reaching into his pocket and blindfolding the woman. He had specific instructions to disorient her.

As he walked, he thought back on his conversation with Steven, his former foster brother and now one of his best friends. When he had first seen the news of the missing FBI agent, Reginald had immediately thought that Steven was involved but had kept his mouth shut. Hell, he had warrants to deal with, the last thing he needed was the FBI knocking on his door. When Steven had called him earlier that day and offered him the money, Reginald knew his instinct was correct; his brother had the missing FBI agent.

He walked and walked, the shaking woman in his arms. He made it to the designated spot two and half hours after he started walking. Gently, he placed her on the ground and walked away. Leaving the injured woman in the pouring rain, in a wooded area, without any chance of getting help. She was gagged, blindfolded and bound- and as he walked away, he knew he had just sealed Agent Jareau's death sentence; and most likely, his own.


	14. Woods

**A/N: I have a new story coming out.. maybe tonight, but soon! Not sure if it will be a one shot, or more! Just letting ya'll know! Thank you all so much for your reviews. I got a PM asking me why I always write JJ being hurt stories (and why some themes are repeated!) Read my profile.. the answer is literally in there!**

**Also, just like before, I need you to choose between JJ's two choices at the end! Let me know which one:**

**STAY**

**or**

**GO**

**Thanks for the reviews:**

The woods were thick, thick with trees and brush, creatures and critters, and rising water. A powerful storm had rolled in, dumping multi inch rain totals on the large national park. And in that park, dumped as if she were a bag of trash, was Jennifer Jareau; oblivious to the rising water surrounding her.

Slowly, however, she was becoming more and more aware of a few things. First, she was cold, very, very cold. Where she was, was never this cold, the bastad had at least made sure that she didn't die from exposure. The second thing she relaized was that horriable metal contraption around her neck was gone- she felt as if she could breathe again!

Oh my God, was she free? Her mind was slowly becoming less clouded, her thoughts easier to understand and comprehend. She sat wherever she was, trying to take in her situation as much as her body would allow her. She moved her hands a bit, yep, they were still tied behind her back- but this time when she turned her wrist, she noticed how loose the bindings were! In one flick on her uninjured right wrist, JJ almost gasped when the rope simply fell off! Immediately, she tore off the blindfold, the gag, the restraints around her ankles! She was free!

Her heart rate picked up as she took in her surroundings. She wasn't in the stall anymore, no this place was different. And just as quickly as her heart rate picked up, it plummeted again.

JJ knew she couldn't walk, Steven had taken a bat to her ankle, making sure she would not escape. She didn't want to look at it, she could feel the pain, she didn't want to see the damage done. Of course, on top of her injured ankle, there were too many injuries to count- to worry about.

And when she felt the familiar sense of thirst and nausea- JJ knew she was in even more trouble than she was when she was held by that psycho. Her blood sugar was dangerously high, she could tell that without pricking her finger. JJ had no idea how long she had been without insulin but knew that without it, Steven would be the least of her problems.

JJ knew deep down, what he had done to her. She wasn't a profiler for nothing- it was just another part of his game. She couldn't count on her team to rescue her right then, it was all up to her. And as far as JJ knew, Steven was hiding somewhere, just waiting for her to move.

So, now she had a choice to make. Did she allow herself to attempt to move away, find another spot and maybe, somehow make it to rescue? Her injuries prevented her from walking at all, she would have to crawl and it would take a long time. Time she was sure she didn't have without insulin.

Or should she wait, not give Steven the adrenaline she knew he was looking for in chasing and hunting her down? Wait, in that one spot like a sitting duck for rescue?

JJ took a deep breath and with careful thought, made her choice.


	15. Further

A/N: Enjoy! And thanks for your reviews! By the way: GO COWBOYS!

Hotch paced the building like a caged animal. They had their main suspect in custody, not even forty feet from Hotch; but they still lacked what they needed. They needed JJ. They needed to know where she was, and most importantly, what her condition was. Then of course, the one thing Hotch didn't want to consider; had Steven really killed her?

The man had been in the cell for close to four hours and as far as Hotch was concerned, Steven was not any closer to revealing JJ's fate then he had been at his arrest. The only information Steven would provide them was what they already knew. He simply kept referring the team back to the barn and back to the body in the barn.

As much as Hotch hated to admit it, he was beginning to fear and realize that the probability of the body being JJ was increasing. They had canvassed his entire property and two miles out. They had found no trace of the missing agent.

Bruce, the scent he had hit on, infuriated Hotch. Steven had been found with the clothes JJ had been wearing when she was last seen, simply holding them. The dog had hit on the scent of JJ's clothes and shattered the team's hearts when they saw the clothes.

Her white shirt had blood covering it- the FBI lab had already confirmed it belonged to the missing agent. The same with the black pants that were found.

Everything pointed to the plausible fact that their friend was dead. Everything but Hotch's instinct. Something was telling him to keep looking, to keep searching, that JJ was still out there; waiting for them

"You want me to try again with him?" Rossi stepped forward, meeting Hotch in the hallway.

"No." Hotch shook his head, "Just let him sit. I am waiting for a call." He needed that call before he went back in, needed to know one thing.

Five minutes later, Aaron Hotchner stormed back into the small room, his presence almost enough to scare Steven. Almost.

"Where is she?" Hotch growled.

"I've already told you.." Steven began but was interrupted with a table flipping nearly into his face. "What the hell, man?" He screamed his heart racing.

"You didn't tell us anything!" Hotch ignored the sound of the door opening, knowing it was Rossi coming in making sure Hotch didn't completely lose his temper. "That body is not my agent!" Hotch had just received the call, one of the best calls of his life.

"Ah, so it isn't!" Steven smiled, enjoying toying with the FBI. "Well, you figured out my little secret. But even if she is still alive, how much longer is she going to last?"

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JJ coughed, she knew she had developed a fever and now it was beginning to affect her. Her body hurt, everything hurt. She was nauseated and thirsty, her head hurt. She wanted to sleep, she wanted to give up.

But a tiny voice inside of her refused to allow it. And so with the last of her energy reserves, JJ continued to drag her mangled body across the foliage. further and further away from her rescuers, further away from the road, and deeper into the woods.

It was starting to snow.


	16. Found

**A/N: This is short, but super important! Thanks in advance for your reviews!**

Hotch sat in the snow, his heart floating and heavy at the same time. He had found JJ, by pure coincidence, he had found JJ! She was delirious, broken, battered and feverish by the time he got to her, but he had found her, and alive at that!

He had been driving back to the hotel, having been forced out of the FBI field office by David Rossi, when he let his mind wander to JJ. To her smile, her laughter, her warmth. To her humor and her comfort. He had closed his eyes, so desperate to see her when he lost control of the SUV, sending it careening down an embankment.

When he regained consciousness, he struggled to get out of the mangled SUV, eventually having to crawl out thru a broken window. He swore as he made it out, angry at himself for the destruction. He searched for his phone, only to find a piece of it underneath the hood of the car. The phone was gone, and he had no way of getting help. Taking a deep calming breath, he searched the back of the SUV and found an emergency kit, complete with water and blankets and light sticks before heading towards the road.

It was when the light hit the snow that Hotch noticed blood, then what appeared to be crawling marks in the snow, as if someone or something had been crawling through the snow.

Five minutes later, he found himself on the ground, tears in his eyes, he had found JJ.

"JJ." Hotch whispered, rocking her in his arms. "JJ, I need you to open your eyes for me." He pleaded, hoping she would listen. Her eyes remained closed and Hotch could only watch and hope that the small fire he had started would warm JJ enough to wake her, and that the fire would attract the attention of their rescuers.

"Hotch?" He nearly jumped when he heard her small voice.

"Hi JJ, it's nice seeing you again." he grabbed his water bottle and placed it to her lips. "Here, you need to drink." He commanded.

"Not thirsty." She answered back. "Hotch, I'm hot." She tried to wiggle out of his arms, needing to take off whatever was making her sweat.

Hotch watched her struggle with some imaginary force that was constraining her, something that only JJ could see. He could only hold her as she screamed out in fear at invisible things, cried out in pain when she attempted to move a broken or dislocated joint or bone, he could only whisper to her as her fever climbed higher and higher, and could only reassure her that she would be just fine.

He just hoped he hadn't lied to her.


	17. Water

**A/N: Enjoy! **

"JJ, please, drink some water." For what seemed like the hundredth time that hour, Hotch raised a bottle of water to the injured agent's lips, hoping she would at least sip some,all he got was a slow shake of the head. "Okay, JJ." He whispered, not wanting to force her into anything. "Hold on, JJ." He warned before he gently shifted her weight in his arms, his heart breaking when he heard her pain cry. "I'm sorry. I'm sorry, JJ."

He had found her soon after his SUV had plummeted down the hill, it was pure luck that he had stumbled across her. He had seen her blood in the snow; and followed the trail. He had found her, face down, in the snow; it looked like her body had simply given out on her. He had rushed over, and with shaking hands, felt for a pulse. The relief that he felt when he found a strong pulse, nearly caused him to collapse.

It was short lived though. When he turned her over, she had fought him, screamed and cried, terrified of the hands that were suddenly on her. He had grabbed her, and held her, scared that she might hurt herself more.

"JJ, it's me, it's Hotch!" He had repeated it like a mantra, over and over again until the woman settled in his arms, either from exhaustion or from finally hearing what he had said.

Once the struggling had stopped, and JJ had fallen back into a restless sleep, Hotch got a chance to look her over. God, she was in bad shape. Her left arm was most certainly broken, as was her ankle. Blood oozed from various wounds all littering her body. But what concerned Hotch the most was the sure heat radiating from JJ's pale skin.

In the hour since he had found her, Hotch had watched her condition slowly deteriorated, her fever continue to rise. He had no idea really what to do, beyond the basic first aide, he was lost.

"JJ?" He looked down, concerned at how hard she was breathing. It reminded him of that horrible day two years ago when she had lapsed into a coma onboard the bureau jet. "JJ, I need you to open your eyes for me." He waited and watched, hoping she would open her eyes. When he got no response, he tried again, this time using his boss voice. "Agent Jareau, open your eyes."

JJ heard it, heard a comforting, strong voice calling her name. Someone she trusted, someone she cared about, someone who would never hurt her. And when the voice called again, she forced her eyes open and licked her lips, trying to focus her gaze on the person looking down at her. She knew her blood sugar had to be dangerously high, her vision was so blurry she couldn't make out the face, but she knew who it was. A faint smile crossed her lips as she felt a gentle hand brush through her hair.

"Hi, Hotch." She coughed.

"Hi there, JJ." He whispered back.

"Hotch, I don't feel well." She conceded, not in the mood to act tough. Her entire body hurt so bad, she didn't remember what had caused it, only that she was in a lot of pain.

"I know, JJ. Do you think you can drink some water for me?" He tried one more time, his options quickly running out. He had one final card he could use, but didn't want to just yet.

"No." She was so thirsty, but even the thought of putting something in her mouth made her want to vomit.

"Okay then." He wasn't going to argue. He wasn't going to upset her anymore. And as she closed her eyes again, Hotch could only hope and have faith in his team, that somehow they would find them. Before it was too late for JJ. And by looking at her, Hotch knew they were running out of time, he could only hope she would last until sunrise.

And when JJ's breathing began to slow, Hotch made his choice. In one swift move, he gathered her up in his arms, and began the long trek back to the road. "Hold on, JJ. Please, just hold on."


	18. Shelter

**A/N: Thank you all for your incredible support, the story is moving forward I promise! I don't want to drag it out, but don't want to rush it either! And if you have any link for spoilers for episode 200, PLEASE PM me! ENJOY!**

Hotch rubbed the back of his injured agent as she vomited again in the snow. He had to get her help, they were running out of time. "JJ, we need to keep moving." He urged, his worry growing as he felt the heat radiating off her skin. Her fever was climbing, she was less and less alert every time he tried to speak to her; now, she could only answer in clipped sentences.

"JJ, I know it hurts, I know you just want to sleep." He practically begged. "But we have to keep going."

It was getting colder out, and Hotch knew any exposure at this point could be a death sentence for JJ. The snow was quickly piling up around them, and they were running out of options. It was too wet to make a fire, and he couldn't find the road.

So, with a dying agent in his arms, Hotch did something he had not allowed him to do in a long time. He cried.

Morgan charged into the interrogation room, ready to beat Steven senseless. Not only was JJ missing, Hotch had disappeared too.

"What the hell have you done with them?" Morgan's voice was enough to startle Steven.

"What do you mean 'them?'" Steven replied, determined to keep the nerves out of his voice.

"Agents Jareau and Hotchner. Where are they?" Morgan slammed his hands down on the table causing Steven to jump.

"Woah.. woah.." Steven began to sweat a bit. "I never touched Agent Hotchner." No, hell no. He would go down for the other one, absolutely. But not for Agent Hotchner. "I never touched him.."

"We know you had a partner." Morgan hissed. They had discovered Hotch missing just over an hour ago, "We know that that partner took Agent Jareau. Now, what did he do with Agent Hotchner?"

"We had nothing to do with Agent Hotchner. Look man, I swear." Steven attested, turning over like the coward he was.

"We?" Morgan pushed, knowing he had that man. He had said the partner statement on a hunch, a whim; and finally they were getting somewhere. Morgan watched as Steven grew nervous, the FBI was slowly gaining back control he just hoped it didn't cost another agent their life.

"Who is it?" Morgan asked, refusing to break eye contact with this man. "Who is he, Steven?"

Steven stared Morgan in the eye, and chewed his lip before coming to a decision. "Go screw yourself."

JJ was now completely unconscious, he couldn't wake her. And as he trudged through the snow, Hotch couldn't help but wonder how much longer he could last. He had lost count on how many miles he had walked and while JJ weighed next to nothing, he was having a hard time taking each step.

He had to find a way to distract himself had to do something to keep his body moving. His mind went to his young son, to activities they needed to do together. They needed to go to a football game, a baseball game, go camping and fishing. Hotch needed to take him to Disney, and enroll him in soccer. Hotch needed to be there.

And then, out of nowhere, just as Hotch felt his knees collapse, he saw it. A tiny light source shining from a barely visible building. His heart soared as he approached it. "JJ!" He spoke excitedly, "JJ, we found shelter!"

He smiled and was giddy as he walked closer. Dear God, maybe, just maybe JJ had a chance! With a final push he rushed the door and frantically banged on it.

"Open up, I have an injured Federal agent!" He voiced.

A man came to the door, "Sir?" He asked seeing Hotch and JJ. "Oh my God, come in!" He ushered them in, and towards the couch. "Martha!" He called for his wife to come down and help. And as he waited for her to join them, he grabbed a blanket and wrapped it around Hotch, and another around JJ; he stuck out his hand to shake quickly with Hotch's and introduced himself. "Reginald. Reginald Miller."


	19. Cabin

**A/N: I apologize for the delay in uploading this. I was sooo stuck and couldn't get anything out! Not sure how good this chapter is, but I had to get something going! Enjoy!**

Hotch watched with anger, sadness and frustration as his agent battled an invisible enemy. She was whimpering in pain, every move seemed to hurt her in someway.

The Miller's had been kind enough not only to welcome the strangers into their home without so much as a question; but they had also offered up their spare bed and bathroom. They had cooked dinner, and made coffee, they had made sure Hotch had warm and dry clothes, and a hot shower.

But most of all, they gave JJ shelter. The storm outside had significantly worsened, leaving the four adults stranded in the cabin with no way to communicate with the outside world. Reggie had explained to Hotch that this cabin was their get away place and it lacked internet access. The only thing they had was a cell phone- and the storm had knocked out the signal. They would have to wait until the storm blew over before calling for help.

"Agent Hotchner?" Hotch turned to see the soft face of Martha Miller entering the room, a small pile of clothes in her hands. "Agent Hotchner, we really should try and get her out of those clothes; they are too dirty and wet, and she is too sick." Martha pointed to the raggedy outfit JJ was wearing. They had tried earlier, to take the clothes off of her, but JJ, even in her semi conscious state had put up quite the had decided that right then, it was best to just let the poor woman lie down. So the Miller's had opened up their spare bedroom, and given JJ the large bed. She had slept, and slept and slept.

But now, Martha wanted to try again. She was a nurse, a retired one, and she had seen her share of sick and injured people. She knew this young lady was very sick, and that she needed help as soon as possible. Reggie was ready to leave as soon as the storm passed, until then, it was up to Martha.

"I don't want to scare her." Hotch replied back, standing up and walking over to JJ and gently pressing his hand to her burning cheek.

"I know, Agent Hotchner. We'll do it fast, I promise." Martha smiled and walked over to the two. "JJ." She whispered, not caring if the woman could hear her or not. "JJ, it's Martha Miller honey, we talked earlier." Slowly, Martha reached over and gently began maneuvering JJ's arm so that she could slide it out of the shirt. "I am not here to hurt you, I promise. You are safe here, and you have a wonderfully handsome man looking after you." She smiled as she was able to remove the blood stained shirt without a fuss. It was when Martha moved to remove JJ's filthy pants that JJ's eyes sprung open.

She didn't fight, she didn't move, she simply stared at Martha.

"Hi there." Martha reached up and gently brushed blonde hair away from JJ's eyes. "Welcome back. I am just changing your clothes okay?" She smiled when JJ nodded. "You have a pretty high fever, kiddo. I am willing to bet that these open cuts have something to do with it. Would you like to take a hot bath?" It was a stretch, but Martha went for it.

"Thirsty…" JJ whispered, feeling completely at ease with the woman. "I'm thirsty.."

She was beyond thirsty, her mouth felt as though it were full of sand. Water was all she could focus on.

"I bet.."

"She needs insulin." Hotch spoke up, looking down at JJ. "She is an insulin dependent diabetic. I don't know how long it's been since she got insulin.."

Martha's jaw dropped. "What kind of insulin." Oh God. No..

"I think she uses Novolog." Hotch answered, lifting a cup to JJ's lips. "Easy, JJ." He commanded, worried she would drink too much water and make herself sicker.

"I.. hold on."

Martha rushed out the door and to the master's bedroom. That son of a bitch! Martha knew Reggie had done something, though he would not admit it, she knew that he had hurt someone. And if had been that poor woman, Martha would kill him. She grabbed the bottle and box she had found stuffed in his jacket pocket before rushing back to the two guests.

"Agent Hotchner?" Martha spoke. "What is her last name?" She pointed to JJ as she held up the small cardboard box.

Hotch looked at her, his eyes narrowing as his mind connected the dots. "Jennifer.."

"Jennifer Jareau." Martha answered and handed over the box showing Hotch the prescription information. "This is her insulin."

It didn't take Hotch anytime to realize what had happened. He knew Steven had a partner, JJ had been found in the woods, the cabin was in the woods… He had found Steven's partner. And now, both he and JJ were stranded in his house.


	20. House

**A/N: Sorry for the delay. **

Steven relaxed in his cell, humming to himself as he tapped his foot in the imaginary rhythm. He loved the game he was winning, and knew it still had one more round. One that nobody would expect. Well, that Reginald wouldn't expect, Reginald and his goodie goodie wife that were vacationing in that cabin would never know what hit them.

It was too damn perfect.

Reginald and Martha would be blown to kingdom come, and nobody would be the wiser. The best part, at least for Steven was that wherever Reginald had dumped that bitch, she was long gone.

And the grand cherry on top- the one he had nothing to do with- Agent Hotchner was missing.

He couldn't believe his luck.

He knew the FBI had him on abduction, but without a body, they couldn't prove anything, and with Reginald gone- there was nobody to squeal on the location of the missing agent.

Steven had won.

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"You doing okay, honey?" Martha asked as she helped the incredibly weak agent into a hot bath.

JJ, barely able to hold herself up, only nodded. She was exhausted, and in so much pain, but something was different now, something that allowed her to rest.

Hotch. Hotch was different, and he was there; and with Hotch there, nothing bad could happen to her.

"JJ?" Her eyes snapped open at the sound of his voice and she looked around, almost frantic to find it. She was having a hard time seeing, she knew one eye was swollen shut, and the other, with her blood sugar being so high, it made it difficult to see; so she relied on her hearing.

"He's behind us, darling." Martha whispered, as she gently poured washed JJ's filthy hair. The bath water was already turning brown from all of the dirt that had washed off the young woman. Martha knew she had to hurry, JJ was quickly falling back to sleep, the simple effort of just sitting up and getting into the bath had drained her.

By the end of it, a mere ten minutes later, JJ could not hold herself up anymore. "Agent Hotchner," Marha called him in from the other room. "I'm sorry, I know you don't want to see her nude, but I need to get her out and she is unable to.."

"It's not a problem, Martha." Hotch stepped forward, a large fluffy towel in hand. "Come on, JJ." Hotch reached in, and doing whatever he could to preserve JJ's dignity, he carefully wrapped her in the towel and lifted her from the tub, before carrying her back into the bedroom.

He watched as Martha dressed JJ in warm clothing, and could only smile when he heard JJ sigh and turn over, apparently content in the bed. She still needed to get to a hospital, but at least she was safe now.

"Martha." Hotch called towards the woman, he was concerned. The house had no electronics, including clocks, but he was hearing a distinctive clicking sound. One that sent his heart racing. "Are you absolutely sure there are no clocks in this house?"

"Of course, Agent Hotchner."

He knew, he knew immediately what was going to happen. They were going to have to brave the cold. "RUN!" He yelled at her, grabbing JJ in his arms as the three of them ran towards the door.

The house exploded.


	21. Rescue

**A/N: Very short, but important!**

Reggie watched in horror as his beloved house suddenly exploded. Shock, then rage immediately flowed through his body; he knew exactly what had happened. And he would kill the son of a bitch once he got his hands on him.

And when Reggie saw two figures stumble out of the fiery blast, a cruel grin lit his face. He pulled out his phone and dialed the FBI hotline that had been established for the missing agent.

"I want to leave an anonymous tip," He didn't bother giving the person any personal information. "A cabin just exploded in the woods, near Miles' Pass. That missing woman, the one everyone is looking' for is out here." He paused and listened for a brief second to the operator. "No, I don't know if she is breathing', she is with two other people. Get out here.. the cabin is on fire and people are hurt." And with that, he hung up the phone and set his own plan into motion.

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Hotch was in shock. He couldn't speak, his lungs didn't seem to want to take in the essential oxygen, his hands were betraying him as they shook.

It was over.

A massive rescue team had somehow found them, minutes after the blast. They were already there when Hotch opened his eyes, they were there when Martha stopped breathing, they were there when JJ opened her eyes and asked for Hotch.

"JJ, you're safe now." Hotch limped over to her gurney and took her hand in his as the paramedics rushed her towards the waiting medivac chopper. The paramedics had reassured Hotch that while JJ was very sick, she was stable.

And in that moment, once they were both safe on the chopper and on the way to the hospital, Hotch was finally able to take a deep breath.

JJ was safe. JJ was alive.

Now, Hotch could really show Steven what the BAU was all about. And as the chopper headed North, Hotch looked down to see JJ's eyes looking up; and that's when he knew, he knew that while JJ was safe from physical harm, her pain was just starting. Now, came the hard part. Healing.

And Hotch promised her as they flew on that he would be there no matter how long it took.

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JJ had just got settled in the ICU when Hotch got the call; only a smile could grace his face as she spoke to JJ.

"JJ, Steven is gone, he can no longer hurt you." Hotch decided against telling the injured woman that the man had been found hanging in his cell. "We think his partner died in the blast. You are safe." He said no more as he watched JJ sleep, and rest peacefully. He had done it, he had saved her life.

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Reggie cruised the street in his brand new car, happy, free. The FBI suspected that good ol' Steven had killed himself in prison, that he had died in the blast, there was nothing that could tie him to the abduction of the FBI agent. It had been over a year now, and he thought about it everyday.. he was scared that any day now, the FBI would be breaking down his door. But as time went on, that fear began to dissipate.

And when he walked into his apartment, nothing could have prepared him for the sight before him. A tiny blonde woman stood behind him, a gun to his head. "You are under arrest."

He fell to his knees, the agent he had dumped for dead in the woods stood behind him, a look of determination in her features.

It was over.

And the small woman, the woman he had just about counted out, was leading him to a police car under her own steam.

And despite his best efforts, he had lost.

And she had won. Yet, he knew, he knew deep down, he could see it in her eyes, she was still fighting the nightmares, the flashbacks, the fear.

And that would be with her for life.

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**A/N: The end.. yes I left it open like that. I am debating a sequel to this one! Thanks for reading! I left it like this for a reason, as a survivor of abduction, I have been able to take back control of my life; but I will not lie, every aspect of that abduction is still with me and will remain with me for a long time. I want to make this real.. JJ won, but she still has so much to overcome.**


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